Author: Barkha Roy
Juventus – Milan – 2-2 (penalty: 4-3)
AC Milan suffered a narrow defeat to Juventus on penalties during their second friendly on their pre-season tour of the USA. The match ended in a 2-2 draw after normal time, providing a good test for the Serie A teams, with promising signs for the coming weeks. Thiaw and Giroud scored to give Milan the lead on two occasions, but Juventus managed to level the score on both occasions.
During the first half, set pieces dominated the action, with all three goals coming from set pieces. Milan started strongly, scoring first through Rafa, but the goal was disallowed because Pulisic was in an offside position. The opening goal came in the 23rd minute, when Thiaw headed in after a free-kick from Theo, scoring his first goal for the club. Juventus responded with dangerous attacks from Chiesa before equalizing with Danilo’s goal from a corner.
Milan regained the lead with another set-piece, when Pulisic’s precise ball found the head of Thiaw, who laid it on for Giroud to score with a fine volley. Juventus quickly leveled the score again with a powerful free-kick from Chiesa. The second half saw a flurry of substitutions from both teams, with Milan’s Pobega and Romero coming close to scoring. The match ended in penalties, with Adli, De Ketelaere and Colombo scoring for Milan, but Sportiello’s two saves were not enough to secure the win.
Milan will now enjoy a rest day on Friday before resuming training in the final days of their stay in Los Angeles. The last game of the tour is scheduled for Tuesday, August 1, in Las Vegas, against Barcelona. Meanwhile, Juventus will play Real Madrid on August 3 in Orlando, Florida.
PSG v Cerezo Osaka – 2:3
Paris Saint-Germain suffered a 2-3 defeat to Cerezo Osaka during their Asian tour. The match took place at Nagai Stadium, showing PSG’s popularity in Japan. Coach Luis Enrique made several changes to the starting line-up, giving all the players a chance to shine and experimenting with different positions.
The game was intense, with Cerezo Osaka dangerous on the counter-attack. Hugo Ekitike scored PSG’s first goal, but Cerezo quickly equalized through Jordy Croux. In the second half, Vitinha put PSG ahead with a goal assisted by Ekitike.
As in the previous match, PSG made several substitutions around the one-minute mark. Cerezo Osaka took their chance and equalized through Sota Kitano. PSG responded with attacking attempts from Lemina, Hakimi, Gharbi and Ruiz, but failed to score. Instead, Japanese star Kagawa scored an incredible goal to secure a 3-2 win for Cerezo.
Despite the defeat, PSG focused on increasing their fitness levels and integrating their new signings. They remain determined to continue their preparations with another match against Inter Milan during the Asian tour.
Borussia Dortmund – San Diego Loyal – 6:0
USL championship team San Diego Loyal made a significant impact in their region by hosting renowned Borussia Dortmund in an exhibition match at Snapdragon Stadium. It was the team’s first match against a world-famous club at home. Despite facing the best players in the German Bundesliga, San Diego Loyal showed quality and posed a worthy challenge to the European powerhouse.
Borussia Dortmund went ahead early on through Julien Duranville’s goal, but San Diego Loyal responded with their own chances. Carlos Guzman and Charlie Adams had shots on goal, while Tumi Moshobane came close to scoring, but Dortmund goalkeeper Gregor Kobel stopped him.
In the second half, both teams made several substitutions, and Dortmund’s Marco Reus and Thomas Meunier extended the lead with impressive goals. Sebastien Haller converted a penalty and Paul Besong scored the last goal of the night, resulting in a 5-0 win for Dortmund.